ISLAMABAD: A British-Pakistani Sufi Opera singer, Saira Peter, announced in a video message circulated on Saturday she received a letter of appreciation from Buckingham Palace for recording the British national anthem, “God Save the King,” following the coronation of King Charles III.
The British king’s coronation took place last May at Westminster Abbey in London. The event brought leaders and high-profile personalities from around the world and marked his official accession to the throne after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Upon receiving the recording, performed in the soprano vocal range, the highest of the female voice types in classical singing, the king sent Peter a letter conveying his good wishes and sincere thanks for her public services.
She also received a signed photo card from him and Queen Camilla.
“I want to share with all my followers how excited I am to receive a letter and card of appreciation and gratitude from His Majesty King Charles the Third,” Peter said in the video, where she mentioned she was Pakistan’s first opera singer. “This arrived in response to my civic service of recording the British national anthem, ‘God Save the King.’”
“Being British-Pakistani, I feel so privileged to contribute my skill and voice to the British government’s public events and citizenship ceremonies,” she added.
Peter informed the British national anthem was recorded at the request of UK Government offices at Hastings Town Hall in East Sussex. The recording is now used across her adopted country for official government events.
Previously, she recorded “God Save the Queen” in 2018, making her the first Asian and the only Pakistani officially invited to undertake the task. Peter also received acknowledgment and gratitude from the late queen.
Born in Karachi, the opera singer told Arab News during her visit to Pakistan last year she used to sing in church choirs and began her Western classical journey, learning from Paul Knight, a disciple of Benjamin Britten, in London in the early 2000s after her family moved there.
Peter’s father, Zafar Francis, pioneered the Noor Jehan Arts Center in London, which was opened by British superstar Sir Cliff Richard in 1998.
She is the director of the performing arts center and teaches both Western and Pakistani classical music there.
She said her work in Britain was projecting “a positive image of Pakistan.”
British-Pakistani opera singer receives royal honor for recording national anthem post-coronation
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British-Pakistani opera singer receives royal honor for recording national anthem post-coronation
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- Saira Peter says she is privileged to contribute her voice to British government’s public events, citizenship ceremonies
- She also recorded ‘God Save the Queen’ in 2018 and received acknowledgement and gratitude of Queen Elizabeth II
Gail’s Bakery co-founder dismisses claims of Israeli ownership as ‘ridiculous’
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DUBAI: The co-founder and chief executive of London’s Gail's Bakery, Tom Molnar, has addressed claims that the bakery is Israel-owned and opposed to the ceasefire, calling these allegations “ridiculous.”
In an interview with The Times, Molnar said: “Gail’s proudly has Jewish roots and there’s plenty of stuff out there celebrating our heritage and history, but it’s not true it’s Israel-owned.
“There’s some just crazy stuff on the web thinking we are funding Israel, which is just completely ridiculous. We’re a wholly UK-based business, paying UK taxes, it’s just ludicrous and I think it needs to be called out,” Molnar added.
The backlash against the bakery has been growing over the past month, fueled by posts like one from author Salma Ibrahim on X, who wrote: “Guys, Gail’s is an Israeli company. Another one to boycott along with Starbucks and Pret.” Her post garnered over 3,700 shares and likes, reaching nearly 300,000 people.
Loli Bahia showcases bold style in new campaign
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DUBAI: French Algerian model Loli Bahia has added another high-profile campaign to her portfolio, this time joining Swedish fashion brand H&M’s latest Autumn/ Winter 2024 collection.
In the first campaign image, Bahia, who is signed to Women Management Paris, was seen wearing a flowing black ensemble that includes a sheer, oversized top paired with wide-leg trousers. The outfit featured ruffled hems and a high neckline and was accompanied by a large black bag.
The second image shows the catwalk star in a crisp white blouse with structured, exaggerated sleeves, paired with a high-waisted black leather skirt detailed with silver studs.
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In another shot, she was pictured in an oversized dark fur coat layered over wide-leg pants.
The campaign also features British singer Charli XCX, Venezuelan musician Arca, British model Lila Moss, American skateboarder and artist Sage Elsesser, and British musician Sega Bodega.
The latest collection embraces a mid-century aesthetic, evident in its suiting with boxy jackets and micro skirts.
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The new drop features vintage-style opulence, with beading and studs adorning knitwear, heirloom-style mesh dresses, as well as leather and suede pieces.
The knitwear selection includes skirt suits in stretch wool, along with matching vests and shorts that are set to become wardrobe essentials.
The color palette spans a range of browns, from caramel to deep mahogany, with oxblood and green adding to the archival vibe. Black and white are used as accent tones.
Accessories in the collection include heeled pumps with statement round toes, studded loafers, and furry slip-ons. The bags are sleek and directional, while the jewelry ranges from minimal and angular to off-beat and earthy.
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“This collection is full of many special inspirations and quality materials. The leather, the knits, the sparkly separates – together the pieces showcase the strength of H&M’s fashion ability. It’s all about truly great clothes: real wardrobe icons. The campaign lets the fashion shine,” said Eliana Masgalos, the womenswear design director at H&M.
Meanwhile, Bahia is one of the most in-demand models in the industry, becoming a runway fixture in just a few months after a breakthrough Spring 2022 fashion season, where she walked in 65 shows.
She has walked for a host of prestigious labels, including Chanel, Tory Burch, Givenchy, Lanvin, Schiaparelli and Valentino. Bahia also fronted campaigns for Saint Laurent, Tod’s, Isabel Marant, Courreges and Max Mara in addition to starring on the cover of Vogue Italia.
Elyanna joins Coldplay on stage in Dublin
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DUBAI: Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna joined Coldplay on stage this week during their concert in Dublin to perform their recently released song “We Pray.”
She performed alongside rapper Little Simz, Nigerian singer Burna Boy and Argentine singer Tini, who are also featured on the track.
“I’m still in awe of last night! Sharing this moment with all these amazing artists on @coldplay’s stage felt so wholesome,” she wrote to her 1.7 million followers on Instagram. “I sang ‘We Pray’ in Arabic, I sang for hope and most importantly for my hometown Palestine.”
Italy showcases 25 brands at Dubai Fashion Week’s ‘La Moda Italiana’ initiative
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DUBAI: Dubai Fashion Week is gearing up for its Spring/Summer 2025 showcase, with international labels set to hit the runway from Sept. 1-5.
This year, Italy will make a significant appearance at DFW with the launch of “La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition,” a dedicated initiative introduced by the Italian Trade Agency in collaboration with the Arab Fashion Council and Confindustria Moda.
The initiative will feature 25 Italian brands across various product categories, including clothing, textiles, footwear, leather goods and eyewear. These brands will showcase the pinnacle of Made in Italy craftsmanship in Dubai Design District.
Valerio Soldani, the Italian trade commissioner, told Arab News that he believes this initiative will strengthen Italy’s relationship with the UAE, particularly in the fashion sector.
“Our trade exchange has been growing by double digits in recent years when it comes to the four pillars of Made in Italy: factory, fashion, food and furniture,” he said. “We think that fashion is also a good way to provide opportunities for Italian and UAE designers to collaborate, create new things, and blend cultures, industries and ideas.”
He believes this collaboration could happen through initiatives such as agreements with local retailers and partnerships between Italian companies and local designers to boost sales in the online channels across the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
“We have noticed that our fashion exports have been growing consistently in the last five years. So we thought — with our headquarters — to do something big, to have a big splash into the UAE market. And we decided to team up with the Arab fashion Council and Confindustria Moda to showcase Italian excellence, quality and innovation when it comes to fashion.”
The 25 brands, Soldani said, were carefully selected by the involved parties. “They provided an opportunity for many Italian companies to apply by submitting their lookbooks and Instagram accounts. Our partners at the Arab Fashion Council then chose a selection of 25 brands that best represent and align with the UAE’s tastes and trends in fashion.”
He said this provides Italian fashion startups with the opportunity to enter the GCC market.
Reflecting on the essence of Italian fashion, Soldani quoted Giorgio Armani: “Elegance is not about being noticed; it is about being remembered.”
He added: “I think that Italy is renowned and remembered all over the world because of quality, innovation, and sustainability, which is a very big topic right now for young designers, for customers all around the world, and it resonates with the efforts of the UAE in delivering cutting-edge solutions and driving innovation in these key areas.”
REVIEW: Jeff Goldblum shines as Zeus in modern-day Greek comedy ‘Kaos’
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DUBAI: Although “Kaos” is steeped in the world of ancient Greek myth, its story of an aging, vain, thin-skinned despot desperate to be worshipped and prone to lash out indiscriminately in rage if he feels slighted is, sadly, very of-the-moment.
In this case, that despot is Zeus (played beautifully by Jeff Goldblum), king of the deities, who lives on Mount Olympus with his wife (who’s also his sister — that’s the ancient Greeks for you) Hera (a regal and weary-of-cleaning-up-Zeus’-messes Janet McTeer).
“Kaos” is set in an alternative modern world where pantheism is still the prominent religion, and where the deities — and other figures from Greek mythology — move among humans. We jump into the action on the holy day of Olympia, when humans celebrate Zeus (via, among other ways, human sacrifice of a willing volunteer). A new monument to him is due to be unveiled, but when it is, it has been vandalized by a gang of Trojans. Coupled with the discovery of a new wrinkle on his forehead, this is enough to send Zeus spiraling, and he decides that an old prophecy about the end of his reign must be coming true — leading to ever-increasing paranoia and bad choices.
The catch is, at least according to the narrator, Prometheus (whom Zeus considers his closest friend, despite condemning him to an eternity chained to a rock while an eagle pecks at his liver), the prophecy is coming true. Or, at least, a series of events that will have the same effect is in motion.
Ostensibly, “Kaos” is a comedy. And there are certainly some very funny moments. But it’s also much deeper than that. In the first two episodes alone there are ruminations about the loneliness of falling out of love with your partner, gender politics, and the potential damage of parental expectations; (off-camera) infanticide; a magnificent scene of a young couple wordlessly pleading with The Fates to be allowed to enter the Underworld and try to recover their deceased son; and many takes on the danger of power. In other words, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. And that’s without mentioning all the great portrayals of other figures from Greek myth (including Orpheus, Dionysus, Hades, Medusa, and Cassandra).
Show creator Charlie Covell has crafted something very special with “Kaos.” It’s an intelligent, compelling, very funny, and deeply moving show that richly rewards — and deserves — your attention.